The New Indian Express 23.04.2017
Property tax collection: 22 urban local bodies chiefs get notice
HYDERABAD: Taking a serious view of
poor collection of property tax by several urban local bodies in the
state during 2016-17, the director of municipal administration has
slapped show-cause notices on 22 municipal commissioners for poor
performance.
As property tax is the only source of major revenue for ULBs that
helps them take up developmental works and provide better civic
amenities to citizens. Director of municipal administration TK Sreedevi
issued the notices, seeking explanation from the 22 commissioners for
the poor collection of property tax which ranged between 40 and 80 per
cent.
With the 2016-17 financial year having ended three weeks ago, the
collection of property tax in all towns and cities was reviewed by the
DMA and it was found that the 22 ULBs collected less than 85 percent of
the tax, which was termed as not satisfactory.
In spite of the mandatory job work and specific instructions, the
commissioners failed to improve the collections, thereby denting the
finances of the ULBs. Bhupalpally stood at the bottom in property tax
collection with 40.13 per cent.
Wanarparthy collected 57.55 percent and Palvoncha 62 per cent of the tax.
The collection of property tax, along with non-taxes, is the core
function of a municipality. Prompt collection of property tax enables
ULBS to meet their day-to-day administrative requirements.
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In this connection, levy and collection of property tax was reviewed
at the government and Head of Department (HoD) levels. Circulars were
issued for 100 percent collection of property tax. Regular review
through video and teleconferences was also conducted to improve the
collections
. However, the 22 ULBs failed to achieve the targets set by the
Director of Municipal Administration (DMA), and municipal commissioners
were called upon to explain within seven days why disciplinary action
should not be initiated against them for the said lapses.
